No Amount of Fire
by dback612
Summary: Ric cheats on Alexis. Can they come back from this? Part 3 of 3 complete.
1. Chapter 1

**No Amount of Fire: Part 1**

She opened the door to their home and was greeted by Kristina running towards her. This was one of her favorite things about coming home after a long day at work; it somehow made everything better. It used to be that coming home to Ric did the same thing, but ever since he had moved out, she'd come to rely on Kristina to fill that void.

After Viola left, Kristina and Alexis decided that dinner at Kelly's would be their adventure for the night. They entered the diner and were greeted by Mike and the counter. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise? My favorite granddaughter and her mother are here. You guys picking something up or staying here?"

"I think we'll stay here. We'll be over at our usual table." They walked over and got settled and a waitress came to take their order. Kristina was captivated by the new menus that she was allowed to color on and Alexis was enjoying simply watching her. Alexis suddenly noticed her phone hadn't rung all day and reached into her purse to check it. Sure enough it was on silent and it notified her that two messages needed her attention, so she dialed her voice mail.

The first was a message from Dr. Winters' secretary, calling to reschedule her next appointment. Alexis had been staying with the therapy; in fact, it had helped her cope when Ric had left their family. The second, much to her surprise, was from Ric. Her surprise only lasted a moment, for when she heard his message, her heart dropped.

"Alexis, it's done."

Three words that caused her so much pain. How could it hurt this badly? She had told him to cheat on her; what did she expect? She thought that her request was so ridiculous that he'd automatically say no. Never in a million years did she think he'd actually go through with it.

Somehow, Alexis made it through dinner and the drive home on autopilot. If Kristina noticed her mother wasn't all there during this time, she gave no indication of it. In the back of her mind, she could hear Kristina babbling about telling Ric all about coloring on the menus, but all Alexis could hear was his message.

During Kristina's nighttime routine, Alexis was again on autopilot. She gave Kristina a bath and read one and a half books before her daughter fell asleep. Not noticing the slumber that had taken a hold on her daughter, Alexis kept reading. Once she uttered the last of the book's lulling words, Alexis no longer had anything to claim her attention, except the words that would not leave her mind.

Ric stared at the glass in his hand. He'd been in the Metro Court bar for about an hour thinking about how he would explain all this to Alexis. Of course, he'd left the message on her phone earlier in the day, knowing she kept her phone off or on silent whenever she was in court. Since she hadn't yet called him to ask about his message, he figured one of three things had happened: 1-she was too busy with Kristina to check her phone, 2- she'd just forgotten to look at who had called her, or 3- she'd been scared to find out more about what he'd said. Secretly, he hoped it was one of the first two, but he knew the facts of his infidelity would come out sooner or later.

Ric had decided to come clean with Alexis after the events in the hospital during the previous day's visit. He hadn't been there for Kristina when she'd gotten hurt, and if he hadn't overheard Liz and Lucky talking, he wouldn't have been there for Alexis when she needed someone to lean on. And then, their baby had kicked! What a precious moment that had been. Alexis had been absolutely radiant when she'd guided his hand to feel the gentle flutter of their son or daughter's movement. The look she had given him as he felt the baby was so full of love that he was lost for a moment.

It was in that moment, that he wondered what kind of idiot would walk away from something as precious that they had together. Sacrificing a family with the family he had always wanted in the off chance that his brother would welcome him into his circle of family was proving to be the worst mistake he ever could have made.

The shrill sound of her phone woke Alexis from her fitful sleep. She answered the phone, her voice heavy with sleep, and greeted the caller. "Hello, Sonny. What do you want?"

His surly voice responded "My daughter. I want her to, uh, spend the night tonight. Michael, uh, wants to visit with her. And, you know, it's been a while so it's only fair."

For once in this battle with Sonny, she didn't fight it. She'd been so tired ever since she found out she was pregnant and Ric leaving did nothing to help alleviate the amount of work and stress it took to take care of a three year old. "Fine, but just for tonight. She'll be ready at five o'clock; you can pick her up then."

"You're not going to fight me on this?" His voice was thick with surprise.

"Just be here at five to pick her up. And don't get used to me being this lenient to more of these last minute surprise visits. It's not going to happen again." And before he could argue about her last statement, she hung up the phone.

Grabbing her robe, she put it on as she walked to her daughter's room. Kristina was awake and smiled as her mother came into view. "How about we get ready and go get some breakfast from Grandpa Mike?" Her daughter grinned and she took that as a good sign.

Alexis took care of Kristina's hand, got them both dressed and they were on their way. Alexis was much more present during this drive and visit to Kelly's. She colored with Kristina and listened to her babbling. It was working to get her mind off Ric and their divorce, which seemed like it would be progressing very soon, until Kristina started talking about Ric.

Usually she called him "Unca Wic" but today it seemed she had chosen another name for him: "Dada Wic." First, she was talking about something he had taught at the hospital the day before, and then questioning Alexis about when she would get to see him next. "Where Dada Wic, Mama? Visit him?"

Alexis' heart broke when she heard this. She had known it would be hard for Kristina and Ric to maintain the closeness they'd shared when they'd been living together, but since he'd moved out, Kristina had been pretty quiet about Ric's sudden disappearance from their lives. Judging by her daughter's silence, she thought Kristina had just accepted Ric's absence, but it seemed she had thought wrong. Maybe seeing him at the hospital the day before had changed something in her daughter. Alexis kept quiet until she could trust her voice not to betray her true feelings. When she finally found her voice, she said "Ric is staying at Uncle Jax's hotel, remember?"

Her daughter stubbornly shook her head, not willing to take that for an answer, but she remained silent throughout the remainder of their breakfast. They rode home where Viola was waiting for Kristina's return so they could go to the park. Alexis left the home for the courthouse and finally came to the moment she had been dreading. She dialed Ric's cell phone and waited for him to pick up, but he never did. When the beep came, she did as she was asked and left him a message. "Hey, it's me. Kristina is going to Sonny's tonight and I think we need to talk. I'll be in court all day, but I should be home, I mean, at my apartment around six so maybe you could come then. Bye." She quickly shut off the phone and continued driving to the courthouse. Upon reaching the parking lot, she parked and walked right into her first case for the day, leaving the knot in her stomach behind where it would be picked up after court was over for the day and she was on her way home to see her soon to be ex-husband.

Ric had gone to bed with his phone clutched in his hand, ready to answer when she finally called him. Then, as the morning progressed, he kept it near him wherever he went. He was just about to get on his work out clothes to get a morning jog in when the call he was expecting finally arrived. All of a sudden, he was nervous. He couldn't bring himself to answer the phone and talk to her. It made it all seem more real that it was finally going to happen. He was going to tell her what had gone on between him and Reese. As the phone played the last notes of "Lawyers in Love," he sighed at how pathetic he seemed. He was really scared at what her reaction was going to be.

The phone notified him that he had a message awaiting his attention and he pushed a button so he could hear it. Kristina would be at Sonny's? He wondered what buttons he had pushed to get her to agree to that. Putting thoughts of Sonny aside, he set the phone down and fell onto his bed. It was now that his panic reached an all time high.

How ironic was it that the woman he had cheated on Alexis with was one she had on her list? His anger and resentment stemmed from his taking second place in Alexis' life, but he knew those reasons weren't enough for him to do what he did. He couldn't see how she could forgive him for his indiscretions when he couldn't do the same.


	2. Chapter 2

**No Amount of Fire: Part II**

Since Ric no longer had a job, he had a lot of time on his hands. And a man could only sleep for so long. He'd been in the Metro Court bar late last night, he hadn't been drinking because of the memories of the last time he'd drank in that particular place. When he'd finally gone up to his room, he fell asleep with his phone clutched in his hand, ready to answer when she finally called him back. He woke at 7 a.m. and got ready to greet the day.

The morning progressed, and he kept it near him wherever he went. He was just about to get on his work out clothes to get a morning jog in when the call he was expecting finally arrived. All of a sudden, he was nervous. He couldn't bring himself to answer the phone and talk to her. It made it all seem more real that it was finally going to happen. He was going to tell her what had gone on between him and Reese. He let the phone's ringer fade out, the last notes of "Memories of Us" drifting into the air, he sighed at how pathetic he seemed. He was really scared at what her reaction was going to be.

The phone notified him that he had a message awaiting his attention and he pushed a button so he could hear it. Kristina would be at Sonny's? He wondered what buttons he had pushed to get her to agree to that. Putting thoughts of Sonny aside, he set the phone down and fell onto his bed. Alexis wanted him to come over to her apartment to talk. It was now that his panic reached an all time high.

How ironic was it that the woman he had cheated on Alexis with was one she had on her list? His anger and resentment stemmed from his taking second place in Alexis' life, but he knew those reasons weren't enough for him to do what he did. He couldn't see how she could forgive him for his indiscretions when he couldn't do the same. Ric thought that a good run would distract him from over thinking how he was going to approach this with Alexis.

While Ric was trying to run his way around thinking, Alexis was in court trying to do the same thing. Try as she might, she couldn't get the impending talk with Ric out of her mind. She was perfectly able to defend her clients against the overzealous ADAs without her full concentration. It was when court was in recess or breaks between cases that she found it hardest to not let her feelings get the best of her.

It had only been a day since she had received his message, but his words had been branded into her brain. Part of her wanted her cases to take as long as possible to delay the inevitable, but the other part wanted them to be over quickly so they could get it over with and move on. Whether they would move on together or apart would be up to what he told her.

Whether by luck or curse, Alexis' day went by quickly and she was out of the courthouse by 4:30. Her bundle of nerves had rejoined her on the courthouse steps as she walked to her car. Her plans were to get home quickly to spend time with Kristina before she went over to her father's house.

The drive to the apartment was fast because of the light traffic. Kristina jumped up from her coloring and ran into her mother's open arms. Viola had already gotten her overnight things ready, so that gave them more time before Sonny came for Kristina. Alexis sat Kristina back down at her coloring and put some Vivaldi on the CD player. She returned to her daughter's side at the coffee table and Kristina shared all about her day. This had been the only time during the day that Alexis' mind wasn't burdened by the night's activities.

Time flew by as Kristina and Alexis talked and before they knew it, a loud knock sounded from the door. Alexis walked over and opened it, shock showing on her face. Max, not Sonny, had come to take Kristina to Greystone. "Oh! What a surprise! He couldn't even come pick her up himself."

Max came through the door to pick up Kristina's bag, replying "Mr. Corinthos had some business to take care of."

Just as he was about to walk out the door with Kristina, Alexis said "Well, tell _Mr._ _Corinthos_ that I'll be over to pick her up at eight in the morning. We have plans."

Shock overcame his face. "Mr. Corinthos won't like that, Ms. Davis."

"Well, maybe he shouldn't have planned this little visit so suddenly. If he makes a fuss about it, I'd advise you to tell him to give me a little notice next time. Next time I won't be so lenient." With that, she gave her daughter a kiss and shut the door once their backs faced the doors.

Alexis then moved about the apartment, cleaning up the mess of coloring books and crayons that littered the coffee table. She declined on shutting off the CD; it was doing wonders at calming her nerves. After cleaning up the mess in the living room, she went into her room and changed into her most comfortable jeans and her favorite Yale shirt. Glancing at the clock, Alexis saw that it would be another half an hour before he would be there. She went over to the bookshelf to select something to keep her mind occupied. She skimmed the titles and was about to pick up the book on Tort law when a memory from the New Year's Eve party at Jax's hotel invaded her mind.

_Ric: Really? Because every time we go out, you're always self-conscious, you're always guarding, you're always condescending and judgmental of everybody else and yourself. You know, you're a drag. _

_Alexis: No, I'm dressed in it. _

_Ric: No, you are. You're a big, plumed drag. _

_Alexis: You know, I think that that's not very nice. _

_Ric: Ok, well, fine. You know what? Why don't you just go home and put on your little jammies and your little footie slippers and curl up in front of the fire with a nice book on tort law. _

_Alexis: Oh, God, that sounds like fun. You want to come? _

_Ric: Oh, God, obviously, I'm the only person here who, of the two of us, who can enjoy this party. _

_Alexis: Well, aren't you just Mr. Everything._

She hadn't touched her book on Tort law since then, partially as a reminder that she hadn't needed that to have fun. It amazed her how in touch with her he was. She began wondering when all that went so wrong, grabbed the book and went over to the couch to read.

Ric had been very restless during the day and his run hadn't helped at all. Of course, as luck would have it, he ran past all of the places that reminded him of Alexis…the courthouse, the park and Kelly's. After twenty minutes, he knew he wouldn't achieve the distraction he was searching for, so he headed back to the hotel and went to get ready for his trip to Alexis' apartment.

He glanced at the clock after stepping out of the shower and his stomach tightened up in knots. In twenty minutes, he'd be breaking his wife's heart. He quickly got dressed in jeans, a T-shirt and tennis shoes. As he was picking up his car keys and wallet from the dresser, he heard a knock on the door and went to investigate.

Standing at the door was a very drunk Reese. He looked down to the ground. "Reese, what are you doing here? I don't have time for this. I need to go meet my wife. I'm finally going to tell her about that horrible night. I need to tell her the truth."

Reese stumbled into his room, slurring her words. "She doesn't need to know, Ric. We both know it'll get to Sonny somehow and I don't need anymore grief from him than I already do."

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot tell my wife. This is the least I can do." His voice flat lined as he asked "Oh, is something wrong between you two?" With a sigh, he checked his watch. How much longer was this going to take? He needed to get her out of there so he could be to Alexis' apartment on time. "Reese, I think it's time for you to go. Maybe sleep it off or something." He opened the door for her and held his hand toward the hall for emphasis.

"Well, maybe you'll change your mind when she won't forgive you for this. After you go break her heart, come by my room. We could be good together, given half a chance." She sauntered out of the room, but not before he grabbed her arm.

His anger was apparent, "You really think you're better than she is? Well, news flash, Reese. You will never compare to her…in any way. I made the biggest mistake of my life by choosing you and Sonny over her. Now, I'm going to have to live with that, but you better stay away from me from now on." He picked up his wallet, withdrew a twenty dollar bill and threw it in her direction. "Thank you, but your services are no longer needed. Now, it's time for me to go meet my wife. So leave."

She looked at him in disbelief but did as he said, but no before picking up the money he had thrown. Ric shut the door behind her and waited a couple of minutes before beginning the trek down to the parking lot.

Ten minutes later, Ric got off the elevator. He briskly walked to her door and knocked twice. Alexis jumped up from the couch and tossed her book onto the coffee table. She walked to the door and stopped right before she grabbed the doorknob. She took a couple of deep breaths, wishing she had a paper bag with her. It only took her a few moments to compose herself, but on the other side of the door, Ric was wondering what was taking her so long. Just as he lifted his hand to knock again, she opened the door and was greeted with his hand descending toward her face.

"Well, this isn't the sort of hello I'd expected," she murmured with a nervous laugh.

He chuckled along with her and as he stepped through the doorway, he caught a whiff of her perfume, Jasmine Paradise. He'd always loved the smell of jasmine, but in general, the smell was nowhere near as perfect as it was on her. _God, I can't believe it's come to this. I finally realize she's "it" for me and I'm going to break her heart. I'm such an idiot._ He hung his head and cleared his throat. "So…how are you?"

Alexis walked over and picked up her book, then started to walk over to the shelf to put it back. "I'm okay. Tired, but okay. Kristina keeps getting more active and this little one is eager to join her out here." While she was speaking, he looked up at her. _She's glowing; pregnancy really agrees with her._ "Kristina has been talking to her everyday; telling her what adventures they'll go on when h-…the baby's here." He saddened at the fact that he wouldn't ever be around long enough to see Kristina talking to her mother's belly. That had been one of the things he had been looking forward to during this pregnancy, and it sounded just like he had imagined it would.

"I'm glad Kristina is excited; I'd hoped she would be." He glanced nervously at his feet. It was time to divulge his secret.

Alexis caught this and asked "Would you like to sit down? Might be more comfortable during our 'divorce talk.' And would you like a glass of wine? Water, perhaps? I've got pretty much everything. Even that decaffeinated tea you got for me." She was rambling. _God, Alexis, pull yourself together._

"Yes, I'd love to sit down and no, thank you. I'm fine right now." He motioned for her to sit down on the couch and she did as he asked.

"So, about that message…" she started nervously.

"Yeah, I need to explain some things to you, Alexis." He stopped for a moment, suddenly wishing he had taken her up on her offer of a drink.

Suddenly, a glass appeared by his face. "I know you said you didn't need one, but I got you one…just in case." Ric took the drink from her and took a large gulp of water. She sat back down on the couch and waited for him to continue.

He set the glass down and went to begin again. "Well, you know when you asked me to sleep with someone so we could get our divorce moving along?"

Alexis closed her eyes for a second, and then softly responded "Yes."

He stood up and started walking around the room. "Well…I did it. I'm not proud of it, but it happened. I got drunk and she was right by me, getting as drunk as I was. Then one thing led to another and we were in her bedroom. She stumbled, I caught her and I'm sure you can imagine the rest."

Panic shot through her as he spoke, but she contained her emotion when she said "Who was it?"

"Reese…Agent Marshall." This time he looked at her for her reaction.

Another pang shot through her. She gasped for a breath.

He ran to her side and reached for the glass of water. Ric handed it to her, angry because of the pain he was causing her.

She accepted the glass of water and drank greedily. Her breathing slowed down enough for her to ask her next questions. "Why? And when?"

"Well, I guess I was hurting and angry. You had threatened a divorce and to take our child, I wasn't handling those thoughts very well. As for the when, is that really important? I mean, what's done is done. Why add more pain than what is already being caused."

Her eyes shot daggers at him. _How quickly she changed emotions…I never noticed._ "It matters to me. I need to know."

"Right after I left the courthouse, I went over to the bar at the hotel."

"My God, you went right to it, didn't you? Not even an hour after we agreed to divorce." Alexis shook her head at the thought. A single tear rolled down her face. "What kind of man are you? I am _pregnant_ with _your_ child. Does that mean nothing to you?"

Ric's eyes shone with unshed tears. "Of course that matters to me. You're my wife. I guess I…"

"Yeah, sounds like you had a really tough time deciding whether or not to cheat on me. It took you half an hour to find someone to replace me. Great job, Ric." She leaned back into the couch and brought her hands to her face.

"How could you ask me to cheat and then behave like this?"

"Don't turn this back around on me!" she yelled.

"I'm not, but how can you say that then change your mind when you hear that it happened?"

"I don't know. Hmm…maybe because you've done it to me."

"What?!?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, when we got married it was to protect Kristina from Sonny's lifestyle. And now, it seems like you couldn't give a damn about her well-being." He started to open his mouth to speak. "I know you love her, but what about keeping her safe? I thought we were together on that. Then you turn around and go all noble towards Sonny. You know he will never accept you as a brother like you want him to. And this? He'll see it as the biggest betrayal. You've slept with 'his woman' and you've screwed yourself into a hole you can't dig your way out of."

His shoulders sagged, "Alexis, I do love her, and this family. But this goes beyond keeping Kristina safe. Sonny is her father and he has rights to be a figure in her life. Until he is brought down for his misdeeds, he'll continue to have that presence in her life. I may not agree with his lifestyle, but he has that right. It's not fair for you to try to take it away from him."

Alexis pushed herself up from the couch and started to pace around the living room. "Even if it costs Kristina her life? I mean, how much will it take for him to get a clue? Michael is kidnapped and presumed dead, yet during the memorial in his child's honor he orders the death of nine men? That is something I do not want my child around. And then there's Michael. He's nine years old. He should be living a carefree life, yet being around Sonny has cost him his innocence. How many nine year old killers have you come across being in the legal system? Not many, but sure enough, here he is…another homicidal influence for Kristina. I can't let them do that to my daughter."

He hung his head and sat back down in the chair. "I do see what you mean, but you've got to let the legal system work. You can't pull stunts like leaving for London to get their attention. It'll only affect you negatively."

Alexis was livid at that remark. She'd done some stupid things in her life, but if it was around her daughter, it was only for the good of her daughter. Nothing less would work. Nothing else was working with him and she was getting drained of what little energy she had had before he'd started their discussion. So she decided to end this one way she knew would work.

"Congratulations, Ric. You've finally done something your brother will be proud of you for. Maybe not for the tool you chose use to end this marriage with, but with the way you went about it. You've never been more like your brother than you have in this moment."

His mouth gaped open as the truth was spoken from her beautiful lips. Nothing she had ever spoken had more barbs attached. It ripped him open more than anything, even her lies, had done. And she couldn't have been more right if she had tried. He'd become the one thing that he'd wasted his life, and their future, trying to obtain. As he thought about her truth, Alexis walked to the door and opened it, gesturing that it was time for him to leave. He stood and tried to gather some of his bearings as he gathered his things from her desk. He glanced at her one last time before he walked out the door. As he walked toward the elevator and pushed the button, he whispered "I'm not like him. I'll make this up to you, you'll see." He walked in and pushed the button for the ground floor.

As soon as he left, she collapsed to the floor, her body wracked with sobs. She cried for the family she thought was going to make it, the man she thought she could trust.


	3. Chapter 3

**No Amount of Fire: Part 3**

The next month passed in a blur for Alexis. Ever since their discussion, she had thrown herself into her practice. She had done her best to try and avoid him, but Ric seemed to find a way to see her everyday. He'd show up at the courthouse or at the apartment to visit with Kristina, he'd even have flowers or chocolates sent to the apartment or her office a couple times a week.

He had recognized how much of a toll this pregnancy and taking care of Kristina was taking on Alexis, so he'd made it his duty as Kristina's uncle and step-father to keep her busy a couple of days a week for Alexis' sake. Not that doing this had helped her rest more; Alexis had done the exact opposite. She had taken on more clients and spent so much time at the courthouse that, if not for the fact that he saw her at the apartment when dropping Kristina off, he could've sworn she lived there.

Today hadn't been one of the days he had picked Kristina up for the day, so he sat on a bench in the park, watching the children playing in the sandbox. Ric couldn't help but think about his and Alexis' child. He'd thought he'd done pretty well around Kristina, considering that he basically just helped Alexis with her. But there had been moments when it had just been the two of them and it seemed like everything was perfect. He wondered what would be different about their baby. Surely he'd take more initiative and not just be helpful but be I_involved_/I. With his past and how indifferent his father had been towards him, he wasn't sure how all this would work for him. Just as his insecurities started to shine through his armor, his cell phone began to ring.

Ric sighed as he saw the number on his phone's caller ID. The DA simply wouldn't take no for an answer. He'd been pestering him to take a job as an ADA in the office, but after being the DA in that same office, it seemed like a step back. Ever since this thing with Sonny, including his trial, everything had been a step back. Ric had declined each offer, his pride taking a beating at the very thought.

He waited for his phone to tell him that a message was awaiting his attention and, right on cue, it did just that. He pushed the button and Durant's voice flooded his ear.

"Lansing, I have a proposition for you. Might even put you back in your wife's good graces. Call my secretary and set up and appointment; I think this will be worth your while."

Puzzled, yet intrigued, by this vague proposition, Ric dialed his old office's number and set up and appointment for later that day. One thing was sure, he would hear Durant out, even if it turned out it was just another wasted meeting with him.

The end of this particularly long day came with great anxiety, not wholly unknown to Alexis these days. She paced back and forth in the hallway between a hallway of judge's chambers. This had been the routine for the past two weeks; finish work and try to find the strength to enter one of the offices. So far, she hadn't been successful.

Once she'd picked herself off the floor after Ric had left the apartment that night, she walked straight to the computer and had drafted a copy of the divorce papers. They'd been in her briefcase ever since then. Alexis wanted to will herself to pick an office and drop off the papers, but something in her was holding her back. Everyday she'd pace, not gathering any more resolve than the day before, and then she would lose any resolve she'd shown and briskly walk out to her car. Today was not unlike those other days. It could've been that she didn't want the divorce, but her broken heart was telling her otherwise. Alexis called herself all kinds of weak when she collapsed into her car; when had she gotten so dependant on Ric Lansing?

At 4:55, Ric walked into Durant's outer office and sat down. He caught up with his old secretary while he waited to be summoned. At precisely three o'clock, Durant bellowed for Ric to join him inside.

Ric obliged and took a seat across from the DA. Durant looked up and smiled at Ric, making him feel uneasy. His curiosity also increased tenfold; he hadn't seen Durant looking this, well this giddy, since he had thought Sonny would be indicted on AJ's murder charges.

Durant stood up from his desk and walked around to the water pitcher, pouring himself a glass. "How would you like to help me take Sonny down once and for all? I know you and he have become all buddy-buddy recently, but this recent development with your wife must have you reconsidering things, right?" He smiled cockily and sat back down at his desk.

"What new development? Our divorce? In case you hadn't noticed, that's been in the works for quite a while now."

"No, I already knew that. I'd overheard Judge Weiss talking about not granting your divorce; that's old news. What I'm talking about is the soon-to-be-ex Mrs. Lansing's frequent stops around the judge's corridor in the courthouse." Noticing Ric's surprised face, he gloated, "Ah, not as knowledgeable as you think."

Ric regained his composure quickly. "Are you going to explain how I'm supposed to take him down? Or am I just going to have to guess?"

Durant regained his serious demeanor immediately. "Well, we were recently able to integrate a man into Sonny's organization and he's found out some things that have Sonny right in the palm of our hands. I realize you and your brother have been," and using air quotes, "'brotherly,' but our main concern is getting this particular mob boss off our streets and away from our families. So, are you in?"

"What exactly do you want me to do? Spy on him for you? I thought that's what the informer's job was."

"Normally it would be his job, but he only heard this information eavesdropping on a fellow employee. Now, that's hearsay but if we can get you in there to get a camera hidden or wire taps, then we've got this case in the bag. We wanted him to do it for us, but he chickened out at the thought of what Sonny might do to him if he found out. Understandable with the players involved, but a little inconvenient for us. And that's where you came in. You've been getting closer to your brother and now that you see the havoc that being connected to him causes, you're the perfect candidate for the job. You're our built in surveillance system, with a little help from cameras and microphones, of course."

Ric had seen this man passionate about getting Sonny out of Port Charles, but today he seemed like it was all true. The sudden change in Durant's demeanor told him this wasn't just a vendetta; he actually believed this was the only way to save his family from the path of destruction that Sonny was leading them all down. "Of course I'll do it. Sonny's been wreaking havoc on all our lives from the moment any of us have known him. And if it helps me get my family back, it's perfect." With that, he walked out of the room, leaving a very satisfied John Durant grinning in his office.

Ric returned to his apartment and began writing like a madman. No one would stop Sonny's downfall this time, he would make sure of it. It took him two hours to get the petition for surveillance of Greystone ready for the judge and in no time, he was back in the courthouse in the judge's corridor. He found the office he was looking for and knocked, waited for the permission to come from within. It was granted and he strode in, starting his presentation for why there was enough probable cause to consent to surveillance. "Judge Weiss, if I could have a moment of your time? I have something important to discuss with you…"

Alexis collapsed onto the couch, staring and paying attention to nothing. Viola would be bringing Kristina home from the park soon and they would head out for some dinner, probably at Kelly's. Absently, she began rubbing her belly, something that always seemed to calm her. The habit had become more frequent since she and Ric had talked that night. It also seemed to occur whenever she thought about that night or whenever Ric was around.

She had to admit, this was something she never thought would happen to her. Alexis thought they might have a chance to get back together, it was just a feeling she had in her gut. That once Ric felt the baby or knew that she wasn't going to back down without a fight, he'd be back in the apartment and willing to give it another go with their family. But once again, she'd been wrong. Totally and completely wrong.

That's why this had come as such a shock. Obviously, she knew her father had cheated on Helena with her mother (more than once, in fact) but she'd thought herself immune to that. She'd never been what you call "lucky in love" but Alexis knew when she had some time to love, it had never been tarnished by something so deceitful as an affair.

Before she had time to brood some more, Kristina and Viola walked through the door. She stood up as her daughter came running into her arms, giggling about the adventure from her play group that day.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," she said with a smile. "What sort of book did they read to you at the library?" Her daughter's enthusiasm for her field trip was endless. Throughout their dinner at Kelly's and her bath, she went on and on about all the things they looked at. All of Kristina's talking wore her out and fifteen minutes after her bath, halfway through "Runaway Bunny," she was sound asleep.

Alexis, who used Kristina as her little diversion from life, was now without diversion. She sighed at how complicated things had become and picked up the file for her newest case, doing what she did best besides being a mother…being a lawyer.

The following day saw Ric at Sonny's house at 10 am. He'd phoned ahead and gotten Sonny's approval to join him for a brunch he was having with Jason, Sam and the boys. Ric had called up a friend and asked him for some equipment for Sonny's house. He'd willingly obliged, knowing that if Ric was going to go after Sonny, he'd need to keep one step ahead of Sonny's luck avoiding prosecution.

The equipment was the latest and most undetectable on the market. Ric had paid an arm and a leg for the stuff, but he knew it would all be worth it in the end. He knocked on the door and Max answered, and then directed him toward the living room. Everyone was sitting on the couches talking, but when they noticed him, they became quiet and only Sonny greeted him. Sonny announced they would be dining on the patio and as they all filed out, Ric purposefully made himself last in order to place a few of his devices. Once that was done, he walked out and joined them for brunch.

They ate fast and didn't talk much, so Ric was set to leave an hour after first stepping foot on the property. Max started to open the door, but Sonny stopped him and did it instead. "Ric, come for a little walk with me outside."

He was surprised and wondered what Sonny could possibly want to discuss, yet his intrigue made him follow. They walked in silence for a bit until Sonny's voice whispered a question. "What did Durant want from you?"

He masked his concern at where this new conversation was heading but replied with indifference, "He's been after me to become one of his ADA's. He just won't take no for an answer." He glanced at Sonny to see if he could get a reaction from him.

His face was unreadable. "Then why were you meeting with Judge Weiss hours after your meeting with Durant?"

"I needed to discuss how the divorce proceedings were going. Why are you having me followed? I thought we were past this," he growled.

"We were, but awhile ago Reese told me a little something about the two of you, you know?" Ric's breathing stopped and he glanced at Sonny incredulously. Sonny's face began to darken before his eyes. "She said that the two of you slept together. Is that right?"

"It is, but I can explain…" his voice trailed off as someone grabbed him from behind. "Sonny, why are you doing this? You weren't even together when this happened…Alexis and I had just split up…no concern of yours."

"I made it my concern when you treated her like the whore she is by throwing money at her. Now, I've been biding my time, and it looks like it worked. I, uh, caught you with your pants down, as it were." To the man holding Ric, Sonny looked over and gave him instructions for punishing Ric's misdeeds. "Make him understand that he can't do this to me." He then turned his attention back to Ric, whose face was contorted with anger at the thought of what Sonny was going to have done to him. "As for you, I_brother_/I, this is the last time that being Adela's boy will ever help you. With what you've done, you're dead to me." He walked away as the guard threw his first punch.

Unknown by Sonny and his man, the small camera and microphone were steadily keeping track of every word and every punch that came toward Ric.

Alexis sat in the office waiting room, waiting for her ultrasound appointment with Dr. Meadows. She'd been reading the pregnancy magazines scattered around the office when her cell phone rang. She rummaged through her purse and located it beneath her paper bags. Opening it, she answered with an "Alexis Davis" to the caller.

Her face grew pale throughout the phone call and when it was finished she ran to the corridor toward the elevator. She kept pushing the down button until the elevator opened to her. Alexis frantically pushed the button for the main floor, the ER, and when the door finally shut, the tears in her eyes started to leak down her face.

Upon the opening of the doors, she rushed out and accosted a nurse at the station. Luckily, she was used to this sort of behavior and waited for her incoherent ramblings to subside before she began her task. "What is the name of the patient? Let me see…Ric Lansing. Ah, here it is. He's being checked out now by Dr. Webber, but I'll have him come talk to you when he's done. Have a seat in the waiting area and he'll be there soon."

Alexis, still sobbing, nodded her head and walked sluggishly to the chairs. Just moments ago, Alexis had been waiting for him to show up at the appointment and now she was in the ER waiting to see if he was okay. The only thing the nurse had said on the phone was that he had been brought in. No condition or anything had been shared with her. This was just great. Yes, she had wanted him to suffer for his infidelity, but this was definitely outside of what she wished.

As she sat pondering her thoughts, Steven came and sat beside her. She hadn't noticed his presence and he gently nudged her to get her attention. She immediately came to life when she realized who was nudging her. "How is he? Can I see him? What happened?"

"Alexis, you need to calm down. This isn't good for the baby." He waited for her to do as he asked before starting to answer her questions. "He was beat up pretty thoroughly." A small gasp escaped Alexis' mouth as he continued, "He's going to be okay. His right arm and leg, and two ribs have been broken. We set them and put casts on both the arm and leg. He's sleeping right now, but I think we can get you in there to stay with him."

As they reached Ric's room, Alexis thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. "Steven, I don't know what we'd do without you. First with Kristina and now with Ric…you've been a real lifesaver. Thank you." With a blush, Steven mumbled a reply and walked away to get back to work.

Alexis stood outside his doorway and looked in at her immobile husband. There were wires and tubes everywhere. New tears stung in her eyes as she walked in and sat herself in the chair next to the bed. "Ric, don't do this to me. You can't leave me. I need you too much…" Though the past month had been hell on her, the realization that he could've been taken from them forever, even before he met their child, took her breath away.

"Ah, there you are, Alexis! When I came out to get you for your appointment, I was worried when I couldn't find you. But then the secretary said you'd left in a hurry, so I did some checking around..." Her voice trailed as she realized her audience was less than captivated.

Alexis seemed unaware that anyone was talking to her, all her focus was on Ric. Dr. Meadows seemed to notice this and went up to Alexis, nudging her much like Steven had done half an hour before. "Alexis, do you want to reschedule the appointment?"

Alexis glanced up and shook her head. "Can we do it here? I don't want to leave while he's still unconscious…I should be here when he wakes up." Dr. Meadows looked skeptical, but agreed with the stipulation that she get everything checked, especially with how this incident could affect her blood pressure.

Twenty minutes later, Alexis exited the bathroom wearing a cotton hospital gown. She crawled into the bed they had brought for her. She kept looking at Ric, willing him to wake up for both she and their baby. She kept murmuring things about her wishes for the future; wishes she thought had been destroyed by his infidelity. Though her focus was on his face, her eyes were glossed over with tears and she didn't notice that he had awoken until she felt pressure on her cheek.

Her eyes went wide and a surprise tear slid down her face. She leaned over and whispered, "Welcome back, Mr. Lansing. You almost missed our appointment."

He managed a grin and weakly grabbed her hand with his good arm before replying, "I'm sorry. I was such an idiot." She silenced him with a kiss but before they pulled away, a figure stepped into the doorway.

They reluctantly pulled apart, both grinning like Cheshire cats. Dr. Meadows, who was also grinning, had returned with the machine for the ultrasound. "Glad you've rejoined us, Mr. Lansing. Any questions before we start?"

"I do," Ric said sheepishly. Dr. Meadows turned to him, but he had turned his head towards Alexis. "Can you tell us the sex of the baby this time? I've sort of changed my mind about knowing." Alexis stared at him and nodded her head in agreement to Dr. Meadows.

"I think we could probably do that." Dr. Meadows came alongside Alexis' bed. Alexis raised the gown to show her protruding belly. "As you remember, this will be a bit cold, but just for a second."

The picture of their baby flashed onto the screen and Ric grabbed Alexis' hand at the miracle they were seeing. Dr. Meadows' voice rose in surprise and said, "A boy; you're going to have a boy." Their eyes filled with joy at the unknown surprises that lay ahead for them, but that moment was ended quite quickly when Dr. Meadows started to speak again. "Now that's odd…"

Alexis was unable to hide the panic in her voice as she asked what had made her comment. "What do you mean 'odd'? There's nothing wrong with him, is there?"

"Oh, no. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you. It's just that…well, you're going to have twins."

Ric's mouth dropped open and Alexis just looked stunned. Dr. Meadows looked at them and let out a quiet laugh at their shocked faces. "Not what you were expecting, I take it. I admit, it's a little late in the pregnancy to find this out, but it looks like she's been hiding behind her brother until now."

Finally, Ric found his voice. "Twins? I can't believe this." He looked at Alexis, who was staring at the displayed image of their babies. Tears were now flowing down her face unabashedly and she made no effort to wipe them away. Ric squeezed her hand and she turned to him. "That's our miracle. The one you were hoping for."

She reached over and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Hours later, both Ric and Alexis were still in their separate beds, though they had moved as close to one another as they could. Jax had brought Kristina from their day together and they'd been talking the whole time about anything that came up. He had told Alexis of his scheming with Durant and she'd been pleased to hear that he was willing to go to bat against Sonny for their family.

Suddenly, they heard a voice from the doorway. "Sheesh, I ask you to do a simple thing for me and you can't come through without ending up in the hospital." His voice held a smile in it. "Now, where can I find all the lovely footage from this spectacular beating?"

Ric grimaced at his pleasure for his wounds, but gave him the information for his friend's warehouse where the surveillance was being stored. As a gleeful Durant turned and left the room, Ric and Alexis were left to bask in their newfound joy in each other and their family.

IEpilogue/I:

Months later, the Port Charles Gazette reported that Sonny Corinthos had been indicted on charges of assault. He'd been charged with five years in prison, with no chance for early release. Durant remained on as DA for Port Charles and had vowed to get Sonny locked away for good. He claimed people were jumping out of the woodwork to tell him incriminating info.

Meanwhile the unemployed Ric teamed up with Alexis to start their own practice. Alexander Charles and Taylor Katherine were born without trouble, into a family that was coming together quite nicely after being torn apart so abruptly.


End file.
